The present invention relates generally to pre-tied neckties and, more particularly, to a pre-tied necktie knot support.
Heretofore, neckties were tied each time they were worn. When a necktie is tied and untied, the area where the knot is formed often becomes wrinkled or distorted. In addition, the user seldom ties the same knot each time, leading to misshaped knots. There have been at least two solutions to these problems: the well known clip on necktie, and the more recent necktie having a pre-tied knot which fits around the user's neck and is adjustable by a means of a slidable zipper. Such a necktie is described in other U.S. Patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,942,192, 4,656,672 and 5,048,127. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,192 has a knot supporting means with a necktie front panel permanently attached to it and tied into a knot. A neck loop is slidably attached to the knot supporting means to adjust the size of the loop to fit around a user's neck. The neck loop has a zipper sewn to the inner edge of the loop. There is a zipper slide gripping tab which secures the neck loop to the knot supporting means by a bracket and a protuberance to adjust the loop size.
Another pre-tied necktie is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,672 where the zipper slide is secured to a knot supporting means. The zipper slide has an elongated hooking member with a through hole in which a gripper tab is normally mounted. The gripper tab is removed so that the elongated hooking member will snap into a slot in the knot supporting member to adjust the size of a necktie loop.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,127, the zipper slide attaches to the knot supporting member similar to the one in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,192, where the gripping tab is secured to the knot supporting member by a bracket and a protuberance.
The knot supporting member, in most all of the prior art, has a generally triangular shape with a means to support the knot formed by the permanently attached necktie panel, and guide the neck loop. In addition to the above listed patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,513,453 and 4,710,982 are of interest to the present invention. These patents describe a knot supporting member having a generally triangular shape with a closed loop projecting from it to guide a necktie loop. The face of the knot supporting member, the triangular-shape, has an arcuate curve with the closed loop having the same arcuate curve parallel to the arcuate curve of the face.